DANBURY -- If there was any doubt after the last month and a half which was the best team in the Little East Conference, WestConn erased it on Sunday.

Lauren Matthews scored late in the first half, and WestConn went on to beat UMass-Boston 1-0 in the LEC tournament championship game.

The shutout was WestConn's 13th in a row -- the longest streak in school history -- and gave the program its third conference tournament championship in the last four years, and fourth in the last five.

"I forgot what it feels like to see a ball go in the net," said senior Tina Dias, who had an assist on Matthews' goal and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "It hasn't happened a lot and I don't expect it to."

The Colonials have outscored opponents 53-9.

"It's unheard of," coach Joe Mingachos said of the team's shutout streak. "The credit goes to the entire team, you can't just look at the defense of the goal keeper."

Matthews' goal came in the 41st minute. Dias had the ball in the left corner of the UMass-Boston end and curled a perfect pass into the box. Matthews beat her defender to the ball and hit it in with her thigh.

"I knew if I touched it with anything that it was going to go in," Matthews said.

Added Dias, "I dribbled in and I knew if I whipped it in that someone would be there."

Dias also had an assist on WestConn's only goal in its semifinal win over Keene State on a similar play.

"Tina has been doing that all year," Mingachos said. "One of the things our backs do so well is getting forward."

Though it was the only goal the Colonials scored, they thoroughly outplayed the Beacons. The Colonials had advantages of 24-4 in shots and 12-0 in corner kicks.

Twice in the second half WestConn came inches from adding another, once when Matthews hit the crossbar and again when Lindsey Leconche's high shot was nicked just enough by UMass-Boston goalie Katie Coscia.

The last goal WestConn allowed was on Sept. 22 against Williams, ranked No. 1 in New England and No. 5 in the country at the time.

"After that game we came together and said let's turn the season around," goalie Caitlin Avery said.

Added Mingachos, "We played well with them, enough to tie or even win that game. I think that gave the kids the confidence that they could play with anyone."

Last season, for the first time in the careers of the current seniors, WestConn didn't finish above .500.